Edinburgh Staff At Fault for Ticketing Failure

An independent report blames the board and senior staff of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the monumental failure of its new ticketing system last year. The investigation started when the £385,000 computerized system crashed on the first day of sales in June. The system was eventually abandoned after several repair attempts. This cost the Fringe £300,000 and forced its funders to throw in £250,000 in emergency funds. Ticket sales dropped 10% from the previous year and led to the resignation of the festival’s director, Jon Morgan. Read a full account here.

Edinburgh Fringe Director Resigns

The director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has announced his resignation. Jon Morgan, who has been in the role just over a year, leaves the job only days after it was revealed ticket sales for the festival dropped 10% this year. The Fringe was hit by several problems, including the failure of a new computerized ticketing system. Mr. Morgan, 46, insisted he had been considering the move for "some time" and that his decision had nothing to do with this year's difficulties. He said he wanted to return to working more closely with the artists. He added that he had not wanted to disrupt this year's program by announcing his resignation before the festival began.

The director said: "I feel privileged to have worked for the Fringe. It is the greatest arts festival on the planet and plays an important role in developing and showcasing new performing talent on a world stage. However, the role of Fringe director has taken me away from my first love of producing and presenting exciting performances to audiences and my intention is to return to that more direct relationship with artists and audiences."